This invention relates to a method of providing a personal communications service to subscribers having at least one fixed terminal and at least one mobile terminal registered in a communications network consisting of two or more fixed networks and mobile radio networks, to a call routing method, and to a service control point.
The invention starts from a communications system as is disclosed in EP 0738093. In this communications system, a subscriber is reachable at a single number even though he has several different communications terminals, such as ISDN, GSM, or DECT terminals, at which he may be reached.
A connection request directed to the subscriber is routed to a central network node of the communications system. This node translates the subscriber""s personal number into the physical number of the terminal under which the subscriber is registered. The connection is then established to the terminal under which the subscriber is registered.
The registration is done manually by explicitly sending a control message from the subscriber to the central node or automatically through a DECT access system (DECT=Digital European Cordless Telephone) of the fixed network in whose radio coverage area the subscriber is moving with his DECT terminal. The base station of the DECT access system determines the entry of the DECT terminal into its radio coverage area and sends a registration message to the central node.
It is the object of the invention to increase the flexibility of the call routing provided by such a personal communications service.
This object is attained by a method of providing a personal communications service according to the teaching of claim 1, by a call routing method according to the teaching of claim 9, and by a service control point according to the teaching of claim 10.
The idea underlying the invention is that a service control point, when triggered by a call to a subscriber with several terminals, automatically requests, via signaling messages, status data of the mobile terminals of this subscriber from the mobile radio networks with which these mobile terminals are associated. Based on these status data, the service control point then decides which of the subscriber""s terminals the call should be routed to.
One advantage of the invention is increased user-friendliness. Call forwarding is no longer fixed by explicit registrations but can respond dynamically based on a large number of data reflecting the current situation. This makes it possible to dispense with explicit registration procedures by the subscriber.
Through the large number of data that can be made available by the method according to the invention and provide an image of the current situation, and by means of personal user profiles, the call forwarding can be very closely adapted to the needs of the subscribers.
Another advantage of the invention is that only a novel service control point is necessary to carry out the method, and that otherwise the invention requires no changes whatsoever to components of existing fixed networks and mobile radio networks. Furthermore, the invention requires no novel terminals but can be implemented with all existing signals, so that it can be integrated into existing communications systems quickly and at low cost.
Further advantageous features of the invention are defined in the subclaims.